‘Cheetah’ a fast cat from SP Performance
| From the outside the ‘Cheetah’ has a distinctly classy look, the colour co-ordinated hood merges neatly with the high quality paint work. Usually I don’t care for body kits but the moulded extensions, around the wheel arches and along each side, blended smoothly into the familiar lines of the MGF. The overall effect is to enhance the look of the car, making it appear wider, lower and more aggressive. However, the wider arches are not merely for show but are necessary to accommodate the wider alloy wheels and low profile Yokohama tyres. | Neat competent styling. colour co-ordination adds classy touch |
CockpitClimbing onto the cockpit I was immediately impressed by the quality of the leather trim and the excellent support of the driver’s seat. The unique ‘Cheetah’ yellow on green instruments are easy to read and give the dash a very distinctive appearance. Wood on the centre console and gear lever adds to the traditional feel of the interior. In terms of appearance, body finish and trim levels this car is presented in a highly professional way and definitely feels like an improvement on the base vehicle
Driving impressionsAs my everyday car is a 27 year old BGT, I was somewhat apprehensive as I turned the key and set off in this strange state of the art, hi-tech, MGF. Firing instantly, the engine was quiet and civilised. It was only when you revved it, that an unfamiliar cacophony of wines and whistles emanated from behind you, announcing the presence of the Rotrex supercharger. This mixture of engine noises in combination with the ‘real’ sports car bark from the exhaust, gave the promise of serious power from this unit. Nudging cautiously away from the busy forecourt of Stephen Palmer’s Rover Dealership in Long Eaton, I set off very carefully. Already a great fan of the production MGF, I was not sure how I would feel about such an extensively souped-up version of what is an already well balanced car. Performance tuned cars of my youth, were often raucous and almost impossible to drive on public roads. However, with a singular lack of drama, I joined a stream of slow moving traffic and was grateful to discover that this car could be driven calmly and sensibly without any difficulty. The throttle felt a little strange at first being rather firm in operation but I quickly became used to it and whenever I got the chance I sampled the response of the engine which was just tremendous. Initially, every route I took was choked with traffic as just about every road in the immediate area seemed to be having repairs carried out. Frustration gripped me as I carefully conducted the ‘Cheetah’ from one traffic queue to the next. As I made my way in this stop and start fashion, I reflected that the levels of congestion I was experiencing that afternoon were typical of the driving conditions that many people face everyday. What really impressed me initially about the ‘Cheetah’ was that this car, which was obviously built for performance could cope so competently with the crawl and grind of our over-crowded roads. No rise in engine temperature, no fierce clutch bite, everything very civilised and under control while the engine just purred away patiently.
Instant responseMy first chance to appreciate the full benefit of the Rotrex supercharger in action was when I had to join an extremely busy road junction. Lorries and cars were streaming around a large roundabout, all of them coming straight for me at break-neck speed. Normally I would have had to wait some time for a suitable gap in the traffic flow, but today I was driving the ‘Cheetah’. A firm press on the accelerator launched me into the fast moving traffic stream with consummate ease and I was soon making very rapid progress through the traffic and out towards the open road. My take-off was accompanied by the most seductive snarling exhaust note I have heard for years. The SP performance exhaust fitted to the ‘Cheetah’ makes it sound like a high performance car should. It is not a case of great noise but no substance, because the ‘Cheetah’ goes every bit as well as it sounds and itwas difficult to resist the temptation to floor the throttle just to hear that w onderful noise again. With growing confidence I found the performance to be excellent and the throttle response was truly instant. Interestingly, the noises of the supercharger that seemed strange at first soon became familiar and added to the pleasure of driving the car. The instant power surge in combination with the excellent gear box of the MGF gives seamless and rapid progress. Swooping through a series of long sweeping bends suits the ‘Cheetah’ very well and gives the driver an enormous sense of smug satisfaction. This is a car that flatters the driver, a trait that is very much in the MG tradition.
Road holdingThe standard MGF has few shortcomings in its levels of the road holding but here again the ‘Cheetah’ still manages to make an improvement. I confess that at one point I made several revolutions of a empty roundabout just to savour the total grip from those extra wide wheels and tyres. To get this car to lose adhesion would take a great deal of determined effort on behalf of the driver. Usually to achieve such high levels of road-holding and grip, there is a trade-off in terms of an uncomfortable rock hard ride and although the ‘Cheetah’ certainly does ride harder than the standard MGF, it is by no means uncomfortable. The ride and handling have a race car feel and inspire confidence, because the extra power from the engine is complimented by improved road holding. Brakes are powerful but progressive in use with lots of feedback. Again, they compliment the car’s performance and road holding abilities. Steering on the ‘Cheetah’ is a joy. It is both light and responsive and enables you to manoeuvre the car with accuracy. I was shocked when I got back behind the wheel of my old GT after driving the ‘Cheetah’ at just how incredibly heavy the steering of the MGB is by comparison.
ConclusionsInitially I was sceptical about the ‘Cheetah’ as a concept, because I didn’t feel that the MGF needed improvement. However, the ‘Cheetah’ adopts a very competent and professional approach. Each aspect of the transformation is thoroughly dealt with and fully developed. I found myself much more impressed than I expected to be; the ‘Cheetah’ is well conceived and well executed. There is certainly performance in abundance in a modern sports car that is easy to live with and fun to drive. The wider profile and rippling muscle looks are rather ‘bullish’ but there is no doubt that the “Cheetah’ turns heads and provokes interest wherever it goes. Sports cars today fall into two main categories, traditional or high-tech. The ‘Cheetah’ is definitely a high-tech product that exploits every aspect of up-to-date design and technology and gets the right result . Behind the wheel as I occasionally glanced down at the rev counter, I would catch a glimpse of those wild cat ‘Cheetah’ eyes staring back at me with a quizzical gaze, but the feline image is captured most effectively by the sound of the wonderful snarling exhaust note.
How much?Of course a major question is how much does all this cost? You can buy the Cheetah as a ready to go package for around £30,000. This puts it in contention with some high class opposition but ‘The ‘Cheetah’ is very much in a class of its own and is designed for the dedicated MG enthusiast who wants more from his or her MGF and undoubtedly the ‘Cheetah’ gives the MGF supercar performance. |
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| Performance Figures and Prices |
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The ‘Cheetah’ has a supercharged version of 1.8 litre VVC K-series engine. This gives a top speed of 150 mph and 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds with 0-100 time in 12.9 seconds it certainly puts the ‘Cheetah’ into the high performance league. The supercharger provides .45 bar boost which increases the power output from 145 to 210 PS. Torque is improved from 174Nm to 220Nm at 4,500 rpm. Another route to ‘Cheetah’ performance is to buy the upgraded components and have them fitted to your own MGF. Either as a complete kit, which has total price of £8390.06 plus VAT which includes fitting and a 12 month warranty, or you can buy parts individually: The Ergonomic Instrument Pack – supplied in SP Performance green with yellow increments and unique ‘Cheetah’ eyes on the rev counter. £290.00 Body Styling – new body styling kit, for the already attractive MGF, featuring an adjustable front splitter which creates a variable downforce reducing front end lift at high speeds. Side skirts offer improved airflow. Body styling comes completely fitted in customers colour choice. £2450.00 Rotrex Supercharger – a Turbo Technics developed new design of supercharger which gives .45 bar boost with water-air intercooler. Forced induction supercharging offers the ultimate in technology and reliability in conjunction with instantaneous throttle response and outstanding performance. MEMS Engine management system, completely remapped for truly exhilarating performance and drivability. £3750.00 Wheels and Tyres -AZEV 17′ 5 spoke alloy wheels of German design. Fitted with ultra low profile Yokohama tyres (215/40/17 front and 215/45/17 rear) which give exceptional grip in all weather conditions. The increase in wheel size will require modification to the floor pan in order to accommodate the wider wheels and tyres. When supplied, costs include fabrication of the existing MGF floorpan and front wheel arches. £1800.00 Exhaust System – SP performance exhaust system manufactured from the highest quality aircraft grade stainless steel. Not only does this system produce a distinctive and evocative sound, but also provides a 12% power increase @ 5,000 rpm over the standard mild steel system. £336.17 Cold Air Induction Pipe – fits on engine bay, goes to air filter – increases level of cool air in the engine bay, making engine more efficient and maximising bhp. £84.25 Brakes – maximum efficiency from 280mm discs. The front discs have been designed to aid maximum cooling efficiency and are supplied vented and drilled. The discs have been developed in conjunction with selected, high friction anti-fade brake pads, in combination with the Bosch ABS system for dramatically improved braking. £595.00 Front Driving Lights – increase visibility at night on unlit roads by up to 30%. £170.00 Prices of the above include fitting and warranty (when fitted by SP Performance) but exclude VAT. For more information telephone your SP Performance Specialist on 0115 9722321 |